JPH09122213A - Operation control method and device for steam sterilizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To uniformly keep a sterilization chamber at the sterilization temperature and apply sure sterilization with no sterilization irregularity by controlling the steam feed quantity in response to the temperature in the sterilization chamber when the heat sterilization steam is fed to the sterilization chamber and in response to the temperature in a steam jacket otherwise. SOLUTION: Steam is continuously fed to a steam jacket 2 from the first preparation process to the last dry process in all operation processes. The steam feed quantity, i.e., the opening/closing of the first steam valve 3, is controlled based on the temperature detection signals from the first and second temperature sensors 9, 10. In the sterilization process for feeding the heat sterilization steam to a sterilization chamber 1, the opening/closing of the first steam valve 3 is controlled based on the temperature detection signal from the first temperature sensor 9. In the processes other than the sterilization process, the opening/closing of the first steam valve 3 is controlled based on the temperature detection signal from the second temperature sensor 10. Practically, the first steam valve 3 is closed when the detected temperature is higher than a set value, and the first steam valve 3 is opened when the detected temperature is lower than the set value.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operation control method and apparatus for a steam sterilizer, and the steam sterilizer according to the present invention is mainly used for medical instruments.
It is used to sterilize clothes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a steam sterilizer supplies steam to a sterilization chamber and a steam jacket provided outside the sterilization chamber after accommodating an object to be sterilized in the sterilization chamber. Is a device for performing sterilization processing. The sterilization process in this steam sterilizer consists of the following steps. First, a preparatory step of supplying steam into the steam jacket to heat the sterilization chamber, then a vacuum process in which air in the sterilization chamber is exhausted and steam is supplied to the sterilization chamber several times repeatedly. To the sterilization chamber, a discharge process for discharging steam in the sterilization chamber, a decompression process in the sterilization chamber, and a supply of clean air to the sterilization chamber, which are repeated several times. In each of these steps, the amount of steam supplied to the sterilization chamber and the steam jacket is controlled by a temperature detection signal from a temperature sensor provided in the sterilization chamber. That is, when the temperature in the sterilization chamber is high, the steam supply amount is reduced,
When the temperature in the sterilization chamber is low, the steam supply amount is increased. By doing so, the temperature inside the sterilization chamber and steam jacket is maintained at a predetermined temperature.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned configuration, since the steam supply is controlled by measuring only the temperature inside the sterilization chamber, the temperature inside the sterilization chamber is easily affected, and It may be difficult to maintain a predetermined temperature uniformly. Normally, saturated steam is supplied to the sterilization chamber, but if it is overheated by the steam jacket, the steam in the sterilization chamber becomes superheated steam,
Moreover, since the temperature distribution becomes non-uniform, uneven sterilization is likely to occur in the sterilization chamber. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to uniformly maintain a predetermined sterilization temperature in a sterilization chamber without being affected by a change in temperature on the steam jacket side, and to enable reliable sterilization without uneven sterilization.

[0004]

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a steam sterilizer having a steam jacket outside a sterilization chamber, steam for heat sterilization is supplied to the sterilization chamber. At this time, the first feature is that the supply amount of steam is controlled according to the temperature in the sterilization chamber, and at other times, the supply amount of steam is controlled according to the temperature inside the steam jacket. Further, according to the present invention, a steam jacket is provided outside the sterilization chamber, and a steam supply pipe having a first steam valve and a second steam valve inserted in order from the upstream side is connected to the sterilization chamber. A steam supply bypass pipe is branched from between the steam valve and the second steam valve, one end of the steam supply bypass pipe is connected to the steam jacket, a first discharge pipe is provided in the sterilization chamber, and a second steam pipe is provided in the steam jacket. A first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the sterilization chamber and a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the steam jacket are respectively connected to the discharge pipes, and the temperatures from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are provided. A controller for controlling opening / closing of the first steam valve based on a detection signal is provided, and when the controller supplies steam for heat sterilization to the sterilization chamber, the first controller is provided.
A function of controlling opening / closing of the first steam valve based on a temperature detection signal from a temperature sensor, and otherwise controlling opening / closing of the first steam valve based on a temperature detection signal from the second temperature sensor. The second characteristic is to have.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A steam jacket for heating is provided on the outside of a sterilization chamber for containing an object to be sterilized, and a steam supply pipe is connected to the sterilization chamber. A first steam valve and a second steam valve are inserted into this steam supply pipe in order from the upstream side. The steam supply bypass pipe is branched from between the first steam valve and the second steam valve in the steam supply pipe, and one end of the steam supply bypass pipe is connected to the steam jacket. A first discharge pipe is connected to the sterilization chamber and a second discharge pipe is connected to the steam jacket. The first discharge pipe is provided with a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the sterilization chamber, and the second discharge pipe is provided with a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the steam jacket.

The first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are connected to a controller, and the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are connected to each other.
The opening and closing of the first steam valve is controlled based on the temperature detection signal from the temperature sensor. That is, when the steam for heat sterilization is supplied to the sterilization chamber, the opening / closing of the first steam valve is controlled based on the temperature detection signal from the first temperature sensor,
In other cases, the opening / closing of the first steam valve is controlled based on the temperature detection signal from the second temperature sensor.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. A steam jacket 2 for heating is provided outside a sterilization chamber 1 for accommodating an object to be sterilized. The sterilization room 1
A steam supply pipe 5 is connected to the chamber 1, and steam for heat sterilization is supplied to the sterilization chamber 1. In the steam supply pipe 5,
The first steam valve 3 and the second steam valve 4 are inserted in order from the upstream side. A steam supply bypass pipe 6 is branched from between the first steam valve 3 and the second steam valve 4 in the steam supply pipe 5, and one end of the steam supply bypass pipe 6 is connected to the steam jacket 2. The sterilization chamber 1 is controlled by controlling the opening and closing of the first steam valve 3 and the second steam valve 4.
And controlling the supply of steam to the steam jacket 2.

An air supply pipe 12 is connected to a position downstream of the second steam valve 4 in the steam supply pipe 5. A filter 13, an air supply valve 14, and a check valve 15 are inserted into the air supply pipe 12 in this order from the upstream side.

A first discharge pipe 7 is connected to the sterilization chamber 1 and a second discharge pipe 8 is connected to the steam jacket 2.
The first exhaust pipe 7 is provided with a first temperature sensor 9 for detecting the temperature in the sterilization chamber 1, and the second exhaust pipe 8 is provided with a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the steam jacket 2. 10 are provided respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the first
Although the temperature sensor 9 is provided in the vicinity of the sterilization chamber 1 in the first discharge pipe 7, the detection end of the first temperature sensor 9 may be directly provided in the sterilization chamber 1. Similarly, in the illustrated embodiment, the second temperature sensor 10 is connected to the first exhaust pipe 8.
However, the detection end of the second temperature sensor 10 may be directly provided inside the steam jacket 2.

The first exhaust pipe 7 has a first exhaust valve 16,
The vacuum pump 17 and the check valve 15 are inserted. A steam trap 18 and a check valve 15 are inserted in the second discharge pipe 8. A third discharge pipe 19 and a fourth discharge pipe 20 are branched from the first discharge pipe 7, and a steam trap 18 and a check valve 1 are provided in the third discharge pipe 19.
5, the second discharge valve 21 and the check valve 15 are inserted in the fourth discharge pipe 20, respectively.

The first temperature sensor 9 and the second temperature sensor 10 are connected to the controller 11 via signal lines, and based on the temperature detection signals from the first temperature sensor 9 and the second temperature sensor 10. , Controlling the opening and closing of the first steam valve 3. That is, when the steam for heat sterilization is supplied to the sterilization chamber 1, the opening / closing of the first steam valve 3 is controlled based on the temperature detection signal from the first temperature sensor 9, and in other cases, the second temperature sensor 10 is used. The opening and closing of the first steam valve 3 is controlled based on the temperature detection signal from the.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the sterilization process diagram shown in FIG. Each driving process is
It is controlled by a predetermined operation control device (not shown) according to a preset program.

First, after the object to be sterilized is carried into the sterilization chamber 1, the door (not shown) is closed and steam is supplied into the steam jacket 2 through the steam supply bypass pipe 6 (the first steam valve 3 is opened. , The second steam valve 4 is closed), and a preparatory step for heating the sterilization chamber 1 is performed.
Next, an operation of driving the vacuum pump 17 to discharge the air in the sterilization chamber 1 (opening the first discharge valve 16) and an operation of supplying steam into the sterilization chamber 1 via the steam supply pipe 5 (first steam). Valve 3 open,
The second steam valve 4 is opened) and the vacuum stroke is repeated several times alternately. After completing the vacuum process, move to the sterilization process.

In the sterilization process, steam for high-temperature and high-pressure heat sterilization is supplied and filled into the sterilization chamber 1 through the steam supply pipe 5 (first steam valve 3 open, second steam valve 4 open), and the target is covered. The bacteria attached to the sterilized product are sterilized by heating. The drain generated in the sterilization chamber 1 is discharged to the outside through the third discharge pipe 19. When the sterilization process is completed, the supply of steam into the sterilization chamber 1 is stopped (the second steam valve 4 is closed), and the steam in the sterilization chamber 1 is discharged into the fourth discharge pipe 2
0 to the exhaust stroke for discharging (second discharge valve 21
Open). Following the exhaust stroke, move to the drying stroke. In this drying process, the second discharge valve 21 is closed, the first discharge valve 16 is opened, and the vacuum pump 17 is driven to reduce the pressure in the sterilization chamber 1,
Eliminate the moisture of the sterilized object. Then, the air supply valve 14 of the air supply pipe 12 is opened for a short time, and the air is supplied into the clean air sterilization chamber 1 through the filter 13. This operation is repeated several times to dry the material to be sterilized.

After the completion of the drying process, the air supply valve 14 of the air supply pipe 12 is opened to bring the inside of the sterilization chamber 1 to the atmospheric pressure, and
The first steam valve 3 is closed to stop the supply of steam into the steam jacket 2. After that, the door (not shown) of the sterilization chamber 1 is opened, the object to be sterilized is taken out, and the whole process is completed.

In each of the above operation steps, the supply of steam to the steam jacket 2 is continuously performed from the first preparation step to the last drying step. At this time, the control of the supply amount of steam, that is, the opening / closing control of the first steam valve 3 is performed based on the temperature detection signals from the first temperature sensor 9 and the second temperature sensor 10. That is, in the sterilization process of supplying steam for heat sterilization to the sterilization chamber 1 (section in FIG. 2), the opening / closing of the first steam valve 3 is controlled based on the temperature detection signal from the first temperature sensor 9 to perform sterilization. In the strokes other than the stroke (section in FIG. 2), the opening / closing of the first steam valve 3 is controlled based on the temperature detection signal from the second temperature sensor 10. Specifically, the detected temperature is compared with a set value, the first steam valve 3 is closed when the detected temperature is higher than the set value, and the first steam valve 3 is closed when the detected temperature is lower than the set value.
To open.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the supply amount of steam, that is, the opening / closing control of the first steam valve is controlled according to the temperature in the sterilization chamber when steam for heat sterilization is supplied to the sterilization chamber. Since it is performed according to the temperature in the steam jacket at other times, it is possible to maintain the temperature in the steam jacket at a desired temperature, without being affected by the temperature change in the steam jacket, The sterilization chamber can be uniformly maintained at a predetermined temperature. In particular, the steam jacket prevents the sterilization chamber from being excessively heated, and the temperature distribution in the sterilization chamber can be made uniform to reliably prevent the occurrence of uneven sterilization.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing each operation stroke in the steam sterilizer shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Sterilization room 2 Steam jacket 3 1st steam valve 4 2nd steam valve 5 Steam supply pipe 6 Steam supply bypass pipe 7 1st discharge pipe 8 2nd discharge pipe 9 1st temperature sensor 10 2nd temperature sensor 11 Controller

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In a steam sterilizer having a steam jacket 2 outside the sterilization chamber 1, when supplying steam for heat sterilization to the sterilization chamber 1, the supply amount of steam is adjusted according to the temperature in the sterilization chamber 1. A method of controlling the operation of a steam sterilizer, characterized in that the amount of steam supplied is controlled according to the temperature inside the steam jacket 2 at other times. 2. A steam jacket 2 is provided outside the sterilization chamber 1, and a steam supply pipe 5 in which a first steam valve 3 and a second steam valve 4 are inserted in order from the upstream side is connected to the sterilization chamber 1. A steam supply bypass pipe 6 is branched from between the first steam valve 3 and the second steam valve 4 in the supply pipe 5, one end of the steam supply bypass pipe 6 is connected to the steam jacket 2, and the sterilization chamber 1 is provided. A first discharge pipe 7 is connected to the steam jacket 2 and a second discharge pipe 8 is connected thereto, respectively. A first temperature sensor 9 for detecting the temperature in the sterilization chamber 1 and a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the steam jacket 2 are connected. A temperature sensor 10 is provided, and a controller 11 that controls opening and closing of the first steam valve 3 based on temperature detection signals from the first temperature sensor 9 and the second temperature sensor 10 is provided. Steam for heat sterilization to the sterilization chamber 1 When supplying air, the first steam valve 3 is operated based on the temperature detection signal from the first temperature sensor 9.
Control of the steam sterilizer, which has the function of controlling the opening and closing of the first steam valve 3 based on the temperature detection signal from the second temperature sensor 10 at other times. apparatus.